Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm in UK to be Ready by 2011

by OldSailor on September 17, 2008

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Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Limited (GGOWL) of the United Kingdom (UK) is getting ready to deliver 500 mega watts (MW) of clean energy by 2011. GGOWL was initially established as a joint venture partnership between Airtricity and Fluor and is now a 100% owned subsidiary of Airtricity. On commissioning, GGOWL is expected to become the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Airtricity has 24 wind farms in operation throughout Ireland and the UK resulting in over 600 MW. A further 7 wind farms totaling over 100 MW are under construction.

Some of the interesting features of Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Limited are:

The Offshore wind farm site is located approximately 25 km off the Suffolk coast, in the outer Thames Estuary covering two offshore sand banks known as Inner Gabbard and The Galloper.

500 MW power will be generated from 140 wind turbines (140 x 3.6 MW) to be supplied by Siemens.

The wind turbines will have a minimum separation distance of 650 metres and will be installed in an area of 147 square km.

The wind turbines will be mounted on steel monopiles and transition pieces, in water depths between 24 and 34 metres.

Generated power will be transferred through three 132 kV sub-sea cables to a new substation to be built near Sizewell.

The Offshore wind farm will be commissioned in two phases and the entire construction is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

Also Siemens Energy has won the contract to connect Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm to the British power grid. Siemens has carried out the design studies as well as the network studies.